“Yeah,” he stammered. “Yeah, something like that.” Then he erected his head and looked at her. “Let’s get breakfast.”
For once, Evie didn’t pry. Although she battled within her heart to ask him about it, she refrained. All she did was approach him and hug him hard. Her body pressed against him, and she nuzzled her face in his strong chest.
Wait.
Her eyes opened wide.
She listened.
His heartbeat was fast and strong.
Evie pulled away and rubbed his arms, looking lovingly into his eyes. He wasn’t looking back at her. She smiled with her lips closed. “Come here to the bed with me. I’ll order delivery, room service, or something!” she said in a chipper tone.
“Nah, let’s go out,” he replied.
“Caleb? I want to stay in bed with you.”
“But we were supposed to go hiking around the lake today.” He pulled away from her and got his wallet. “Get dressed so we can make the breakfast hour at the diner.”
“No,” she said sternly.
He lifted his body from leaning over the table and turned to her, simply staring in disbelief.
She shook her head. “I’m not leaving.”
“Okay, then I’ll go and bring you something back.”
Evie approached him and he stepped away. She tried to grab his arm. “Caleb, please.”
He yanked his arm away, trying to be calm. “Please,” he shuddered hotly while holding his head. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
“Your heart is racing out of your chest. It’s okay. We can stay here and be quiet.”
“Nope,” he said stubbornly.
She watched him try to grab his cell phone, and she had had enough. Evie reached out and grabbed him hard, pulled him around,and forced him to sit on the bed. He tried to stand up but she straddled his lap and hugged him hard.Veryhard. “I’m here. Rest.”
“I’ve got work to do later. I can’t have my neighbor do my work today. You can’t call Instacart and have them water your horses.”
His body shook. But hers was calm.
She assured sweetly, snuggling into his neck, “But you can rest for five minutes.”
He stayed.
Evie felt his arms wrap around her. She smiled in adoration. “You’re okay. You don’t need to talk. You don’t need to explain anything. I can be here and hold you. This is your moment, not mine.”
He nearly cried. He nearly broke.
Nearly.
A few minutes later, Caleb was lying on his side with a pillow under his arm, staring at the minutes clicking on by on the clock. Evie turned it around. He tried to pick up his phone, and she took it and hid it under her pillow. Doing things like that was how she coped with her own mania. She stroked his hair and allowed her hand to cherish the beauty of his strong neck, the prickles of the shorter hair at the base of his scalp, and the strong curves of his muscled shoulder.
He was so beautiful to her. She watched with a marveling eye as her fingertips pressed into his muscles, gliding down his tattoos. It was like she did when they first made love.
After ten minutes, she snuggled up behind him, holding him all over again.
He broke the silence with a deep voice, “I’ve never been held like this until you.”
